A group of masked ninjas arrived at an abandoned battlefield. They scanned the area silently, searching among the fallen. One of them knelt to retrieve a sword from a specific individual.—Confirmed, the extraction team has been eliminated —one man reported to another within the group.The tter nodded, gripping the sword tightly.—Let’s go. They can’t be far —he said as the group vanished, moving swiftly in the direction of the Kusagakure team.
Back with the Kusagakure group
Miyuki and Akihiro returned, and Aiko, Hiroshi, along with the girl from the Ryūmei Cn, noticed them immediately.—Ready? —Aiko asked as she stood, adjusting the girl from the Ryūmei Cn on her back. Hiroshi, who had been keeping watch, turned toward Miyuki, waiting for confirmation.—Yes, let’s go. We’re heading back to Kusa immediately —Miyuki instructed firmly.—Hold on tight —Aiko warned the girl, who tightened her grip around Aiko.
Without further dey, they all began sprinting at full speed. Their movement was so swift that, to an ordinary observer, they would have been nothing more than fleeting blurs.—We’re still far from Kusa. Even at this pace, it’ll take us a few hours to get there —Hiroshi remarked, breaking the silence.Miyuki nodded, aware of the distance. Kusagakure was much closer to the border with Amegakure than to Takigakure. Even taking the shortest route, the journey would still be a long one.
The team continued advancing at full speed, weaving between the trees. To them, the forest was little more than a blur of shadows and dark green hues under the twilight sky. Though fatigue was beginning to take its toll, none of them slowed down.
Aiko, carrying the Ryūmei Cn girl, gnced back at her passenger. The young woman seemed to have lost consciousness a few minutes ago.—Do you think she’ll make it to Kusagakure? —Aiko asked, a hint of concern in his voice. It was clear the girl needed rest in a safer environment.
Miyuki, leading the group, didn’t answer immediately. Her eyes remained fixed on the path ahead, ever vigint. Finally, she replied:—We don’t have a choice. Stopping now would put her in even greater danger.—Understood —Aiko replied with a nod.
Suddenly, Aiko halted abruptly, leaping to the side on instinct as he shouted:—Ambush!
The ground crumbled, and a figure emerged from the earth, attempting to seize Aiko. Miyuki, who was nearby, reacted instantly, intercepting and sending the attacker flying with a single motion. Noticing the mask covering the ninja’s face, she excimed:—Damn it, they’re Taki Anbu! Everyone, be careful!
A group of masked figures emerged from the shadows, quickly surrounding the team. Their numbers far exceeded those of the Kusagakure group: at least ten against four, not counting any hidden reinforcements that might block their escape.
Akihiro began to sweat coldly at the sight. In the original work, the Anbu may have been treated as a joke at times, but here, facing them in person was a completely different matter. After all, the Anbu were elite ninjas chosen for the most dangerous missions.—Protect the girl! —Miyuki ordered as she unsheathed her sword and advanced toward where most of the Anbu had gathered.
The masked ninjas wasted no time. With precise movements, several rushed toward Miyuki, aware that she was the strongest in the group. If they could defeat her, the rest would fall easily.
Akihiro didn’t stand idle either. Quickly and with focus, he activated his Genjutsu, momentarily trapping one of the Anbu. The masked ninja froze, but only for an instant before breaking free with surprising ease.—Again!? Seriously? —Akihiro growled, frustrated. It was the second time his Genjutsu had failed so quickly.—They’re not that strong! Just stay together and don’t fight alone! —Miyuki shouted while fending off several enemies at once. She had assessed their overall power during the fight and noticed that, while they would be a challenge for genin like her students, their general strength wasn’t particurly remarkable.—You’re not really Taki Anbu, are you? —she murmured with a smirk. It was clear what was happening. It seemed Kusa wasn’t the only one with internal problems.
The Taki Anbu didn’t respond, but their assault intensified. Miyuki managed to keep the pressure under control, though she knew she couldn’t maintain this bance for much longer. Amid the battle, one of the ninjas, wielding the sword they had recovered from the battlefield, charged directly at her, seeking an opening.—I should have taken back that sword when I had the chance —Miyuki muttered coldly. She blocked the attack with her kunai, sparks briefly illuminating the Anbu’s mask. Fortunately, the ninja cked mastery over the Lightning Element, limiting the weapon’s true potential.
Quickly, she formed several hand signs with her free hand.—Wind Style: Great Breakthrough Jutsu! —she shouted, focusing wind chakra into her lungs.
With a single motion, she unleashed a powerful bst of compressed air that surged forward like a devastating gale, snapping branches, kicking up dust, and forcing the Anbu to retreat as they struggled to maintain their footing.
The Anbu, regaining their positions and creating some distance, began forming hand seals with precise synchronization.—Earth Style: Rock Spear Jutsu! —they excimed in unison, channeling chakra into the ground beneath their feet.
The earth trembled violently, fracturing as sharp stone spears erupted rapidly, advancing toward Miyuki to eliminate any chance of escape.
Miyuki reacted swiftly, evading the attacks and moving quickly out of the jutsu’s area of effect.
Meanwhile, Aiko stood firm a few meters away, protecting the girl from the Ryūmei Cn. His focus didn’t waver, but the situation was becoming critical. One of the Anbu approached, kunai in hand, his eyes locked on the girl behind his mask.—Don’t make this harder than it has to be, kid. Hand over the girl, and you won’t get hurt… or killed —he warned coldly. The ninja avoided using Ninjutsu, knowing that injuring the girl would result in severe consequences for him.
—Aiko, watch out! —Akihiro shouted from a distance, throwing a kunai with precision toward an Anbu sneaking up on them.
The ninja moving behind Aiko narrowly dodged the projectile, avoiding a fatal strike.
Seeing the danger, Aiko quickly formed several hand seals.—Earth Style: Ground Wave Jutsu! —he excimed, pcing both hands on the ground.
The previously stable terrain began to ripple violently, throwing the Anbu off bance for just an instant. Aiko seized the opportunity to grab the girl in his arms and used the Body Flicker Jutsu to escape the area.
—Tsk —one of the Anbu clicked his tongue in frustration, activating his own movement jutsu to pursue them.
—Hiroshi, follow them! —Akihiro ordered while struggling to block an attack.
Hiroshi nodded, kicking the Anbu he was facing and hitting him with a Fireball Jutsu, forcing him to back off. Without wasting time, Hiroshi activated the Body Flicker Jutsu to chase after Aiko and the girl.
The Anbu swiftly dodged the attack and used his own jutsu to gain speed and chase after Hiroshi, only to feel everything around him distort. Suddenly, he lost control of his chakra.—A Genjutsu? —he muttered, recognizing the deception. He broke free with a quick effort, but as his vision cleared, a young man was already in front of him, a kunai just inches from his face.
The Anbu reacted instinctively, arching his body backward to avoid the lethal strike. Despite his speed, the edge of the kunai grazed his mask, leaving a visible crack across its surface.—Damn brat, —he growled, while his comrade, who had been fighting Akihiro, seized the opportunity to fnk him. Both positioned themselves, surrounding him.
Akihiro felt cold sweat run down his back. A two-on-one situation was far from ideal, and he knew it. Without hesitation, he channeled his chakra and unleashed a Genjutsu at full power in an attempt to gain the upper hand. However, the Anbu, trained for such tactics, detected the illusion and dispelled it almost instantly. Not giving him any time to recover, they both unched themselves at him.—Tsk! —Akihiro cursed through gritted teeth as his hands quickly formed seals.
Water gathered in his stomach, and he released it in a burst.—Water Style: Water Wall Jutsu! —he excimed as water swirled into a barrier that temporarily halted the Anbu’s advance. The turbulent waves churned violently, obscuring visibility and hindering the movement of his adversaries.
Akihiro thought quickly about his next move, but the Anbu gave him no time. They swiftly formed seals.—Earth Style: Fractured Earth Jutsu! —they shouted in unison. Both struck the ground, and the terrain in front of them, with Akihiro caught within it, began to crack and shift, making it impossible to maintain footing.
Seeing this, Akihiro leapt quickly, trying to get to safety. However, the Anbu were relentless, throwing kunai and explosive tags to restrict his movements and force him to be crushed or trapped by the shifting ground.
Realizing the danger, Akihiro scanned his surroundings and spotted a safe point. Using the Body Flicker Jutsu repeatedly, he gained as much distance as possible.
The two Anbu pursued him without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Aiko, carrying the girl from the Ryūmei Cn, was running at full speed, their footsteps echoing across the terrain. The tension in the air was palpable, and the pressure of their pursuer grew stronger with each passing moment. Their escape came to an abrupt halt when the attacker appeared before them, cutting off their retreat.
—Tsk! —grumbled the enemy, visibly irritated by their attempt to flee. Without wasting another moment, his hands began forming a rapid sequence of seals.—Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu! —he roared, unleashing a massive ball of fire from his mouth. It bzed through the darkness with an intense, lethal glow.
The scorching heat surged toward them, consuming the air as it advanced. Aiko and the Ryūmei girl barely had time to react. Aiko quickly formed seals.—Earth Style: Earth Wall Jutsu! —she excimed, pcing her hands on the ground. A sturdy wall of earth rose before her, giving her just enough time to use the Body Flicker Jutsu once more.
—Stop using that damn movement jutsu! —shouted the attacker as he invoked his own Movement Jutsu, appearing before her again. But before he could react, a figure emerged from behind him.
—Lightning Style: Piercing Lightning Jutsu! —a voice rang out from behind the attacker. Before he could take a single step, a kunai charged with electric energy pierced his body. The electricity coursed through his veins, and the impact was so fierce that he let out an involuntary cry of pain.
—Damn it... —groaned the attacker, electricity slithering through his body like ravenous serpents. He was completely paralyzed. He managed only two shallow breaths before his legs gave out, and his body hit the ground with a heavy thud. A final spasm rippled through him before he y still, lifeless.
Aiko exhaled deeply, allowing the tension in her shoulders to ease for a moment.—Thanks for the signal, —she said, turning to her companion with a faint smile. —If you hadn’t acted, I would’ve ended up chasing him in another direction.
Hiroshi nodded as he retrieved the kunai.—It was nothing, —he replied calmly. —Now, get her to safety. I need to return and support Akihiro and Miyuki, —he said before vanishing again with his movement jutsu.
Aiko headed in the opposite direction, aiming for the nearest town to report what had happened.
Miyuki was not in the best condition. Her body was covered in blood, marked by countless cuts and scars from jutsu she hadn’t fully dodged. Yet, despite her state, she had managed to take down several of the Anbu. Of the six who had initially attacked her, only two remained, one of whom wielded a sword.
—Looks like your pn didn’t work out completely. Even my students managed to escape, —she said, her voice strained with exhaustion.
The two remaining Anbu realized most of the genin had fled, leaving only one who was still being pursued by two of their comrades. The situation was spiraling out of their control, and the looming threat of reinforcements was becoming increasingly likely.
—Damn it, we should have brought another squad, —one of the ANBU muttered, visibly frustrated. Even though defeat seemed inevitable, he wasn’t about to let the woman get away so easily. He was determined to take her with them, even if it meant risking everything.
With a swift motion, the ANBU executed a movement jutsu, closing the gap between them. Miyuki, exhausted and running low on chakra from the intense battle, countered with a wind-style jutsu. However, the strength of her attack was only a fraction of her true power. The ANBU dodged her attack effortlessly and quickly shortened the distance. With one decisive move, he grabbed her arms, immobilizing her, and smmed her to the ground with brutal force, leaving her unable to resist.
—Bastard! —Miyuki growled, fully aware that her fate was sealed. She considered detonating a fire-style jutsu, but without the ability to move her hands, the idea was futile. All she could do now was hope the others managed to escape.
Suddenly, she heard a shout:—Miyuki!
In an instant, ten figures appeared using movement jutsu, quickly surrounding the two ANBU. All of them wore the uniforms of Kusagakure.
—Akihiro! —she called out weakly, recognizing one of the newcomers.
Without hesitation, the ten reinforcements rushed the two ANBU. Surprised by the sudden arrival, and already exhausted from their fight with Miyuki, the ANBU were subdued without much resistance.
Akihiro approached Miyuki, his face filled with concern.—Are you alright? —he asked, helping her to her feet.
—More or less, —she replied, struggling to stand. —How did you...?
—I was escaping using a movement jutsu when I ran into them. It seems they came to investigate after detecting unidentified ninja crossing the border.
Miyuki nodded. The border between Taki and Amegakure wasn’t as heavily guarded as the one near Iwagakure, which was constantly monitored. While the response to infiltrating ninjas might take some time, it was difficult for a battle so close to the border to go unnoticed.
—Well done. What about the others? —she asked, gncing at Akihiro.
—Aiko escaped with the girl, and Hiroshi followed shortly after, —he reported.
Miyuki nodded again. Before long, Hiroshi arrived, looking visibly surprised by the reinforcements.
—Is it over? —he asked, still processing the situation.
—It’s over, —Akihiro replied with a sigh of relief.
Exhausted, Hiroshi colpsed to the ground, too drained to stay upright.—And Aiko? —Akihiro asked, concerned.
—She’s on her way to the nearest town. It’ll take her some time to get there, —Hiroshi replied, his breathing bored.
—Rest for now, —Miyuki instructed, stepping back. —I need to speak with the other team leaders about the situation.
Akihiro and Hiroshi took the rest of the day to recover. The next day, they reunited with Aiko in the town. She had already been informed of the rescue and, relieved to know her team was safe, waited for them there.
In a somewhat anticlimactic turn of events, it was all over.
